For all of Freddy Sanchez’s accomplishments in arm wrestling, which includes state championships in New Mexico, Colorado and Chihuahua, he had one box left to check off.
The Montwood High School graduate from the east side of El Paso was chasing a championship in his own state of Texas, and as it turns out, in his hometown.
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More: ‘I knew I was good at it’: Freddy Sanchez follows heart, father into arm wrestling
El Paso’s Freddy Sanchez won his division, the Tier One (pro) Open 220-pound Left Hand Class at the Texas State Arm Wrestling Championships
On Nov. 15 that dream turned into reality when he won the Tier One (professional) Open 220-pound Left Hand Class at the Texas Arm Wrestling Championships, a rotating event that this year was held at the Best Western Plus Hotel and Conference Center near the El Paso International Airport.
“I had a blast,” said the 30-year-old Sanchez, who became serious about arm wrestling after graduating from Montwood in 2013. “It was huge for me because it was here in El Paso and I defended our city. I can’t let people come in and take the money.
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“I have a bunch of videos of me when I won, and I’m yelling and all excited, ‘The Texas state championship stays in El Paso!’
“That was awesome.”
Sanchez won five matches to claim the crown in a division that had seven other arm wrestlers in it. All told, the championships drew more than 250 arm wrestlers to El Paso from all over the Southwest, and as Sanchez said, he was the only winner from El Paso.
In the championship match he defeated Luis Alarcon, the champion of Chihuahua.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Pasoan Freddy Sanchez wins Texas state arm wrestling championship